This falls under the "you've got to be kidding me" category!

So... I don't have a washer and dryer in the camper. Right now, the campground we are at has no laundry. So we have gone to 2 different laundromats. The first one was nice, but pretty far away (30 minutes), so I combined the next trip to do laundry with some other errands and went to a different laundromat. When we got there it was 4:05... it closed at 5:00, so we had missed the last load cut-off. CRAP! The attendant was really nice and told us about one down the road that was open later. We found it and started the laundry. Not 10 minutes later a woman came barreling in with a TON of laundry.

That in itself was no big deal. I had 3 small washers and a big one full of blankets going. Just on a side note... she looked like a tall Janeane Garofalo. She was dressed in short and a blouse and had high heal sandals. Obviously not an Adirondack "roughing it" camper. What made this visit fall into the "you've got to be kidding me category" is that she came in and dumped her clothes everywhere; on the folding tables, in the carts, and on the floor. She then proceeded to announce to me that she was SO upset! She had to wash ALL her laundry because one of kids had come home from camp with HEAD LICE! UUGGHH!

She went on and on about how she was SO embarrassed because she had to let everyone at the resort she was staying at know, just in case. She could just imagine what they must think! In the meantime, my wash is finishing up, and I am grabbing my clothes and putting them in the dryers without touching ANYTHING ANYWHERE! I am trying to stay as far away as possible from the clothes she has EVERYWHERE and I am thanking my lucky stars that I got there BEFORE she did to use the machines! Needless to say, I got out of there as quick as I could. I don't know much about head lice, I'll admit, and it really freaked me out!

Definitely something that will be on my mind every time I go into a laundromat from now on!

Visiting Fort Ticonderoga

We took a day trip to see Fort Ticonderoga. The kids had such a great time. I had been there before, but it was a long time ago. I really enjoyed the day as well.

Here is the link to the Fort's web site:

http://www.fort-ticonderoga.org

Fort Ticonderoga

Liam, Patti, and Skyler

Skyler checking out the cannons

Wow... this is heavy!

We got to see the musket and cannon firing demonstration. We watched from the upper level of the fort so that Liam could deal with the noise. It was a great view of the demonstration.

Skyler and Liam dressed up like soldiers

They had a cool fife and drum demonstration. Skyler bought a fife and has now proclaimed he is going to work at the fort when he is old enough. Most of the musicians were very young... it's probably a great summer job for a teenager!

We then went down to check out the King's Garden. It was very nice and the flowers were almost all in bloom.

There was a demonstration about making lavender sachets for the kids. I didn't know if the boys would want to participate or not but they did. They walked around smelling their sachets, and put them under their pillows in the camper.

We walked all around the cobblestone paths in the garden and also checked out the tea house. The boys each got to ring the tea bell that would summon servants to the tea house.

It was such a fun filled day! I would definately reccomend it to all ages. There is a historic exhibit and a video presentation about the fort. It explains the history without being boring. EVen Liam sat and watched the video.

I think the best part of the day was the fife and drums. I took a few videos with my camera. Here is the end of the demonstration. Enjoy!

It's raining again......

The one downfall of living in such a small camper comes when it rains... and boy has it been raining A LOT! I have threatened to take the Wii, computer, and DVD player away to try to get the kids away from electronics. When it comes to rainy days, it's our only sanity!

Do me a favor... take out a tape measure and do the following -

1. Measure a rectangle that is 6 feet by 10 feet.

2. Take out of that rectangle a space that is 3 feet by 4 feet (the kitchen counter, stove and sink).

3. Add into that rectangle a 5 foot by 2 foot folding table and 2 couch/benches.

TADA! You have our living space!

Now... add in 2 large dogs, 2 boys, and me!



Moslon is the only animal allowed in my bunk...
he gets his own space up and out of the way.


Barkley taking up all the leg room under the table.



The boys trying to find something to do inside that doesn't involve electronics.

Rascal sprawled out behind Liam on the bench.

It is amazing that we haven't driven each other nuts on these rainy days! Tempers seem to be shorter, as the rainy days grow longer. These photos show the kids drawing. It lasted about an hour before we put in a movie. Oh well... maybe the sun will come out tomorrow?

Cruising the lake....

The campground owners where we are staying gave Mom and Tom complimentary tickets for an excursion cruise on Raquette Lake. We had hoped to be able to go with them but the schedule did not work out. They gave the tickets to us and I decided to take the kids on Tuesday.

Liam kept asking all kinds of questions about whether it was like riding in a car, if we would get big waves, if they would blow the horn, etc... I don't think he remembers being on a boat before, although I know he has.

The W.W.Durant in dock

When we first got there, the weather was very nice so we sat on the upper deck. I knew they had snacks and things on the boat so I promised the kids we would eat lunch on board. We had their "meal deal" which was a Hoffman hotdog (the sign told us it was straight from Syracuse, NY), a bag of chips and a drink. It was a bargain at $4.00 each meal... NOT! Oh well.

Lunch on the upper deck

Liam kept doing a captain's pose (at least that is what HE called it) everytime I tried to take his photo. He was all over the boat exploring.

Skyler doing his Titanic imitation...

although I was hoping this trip would have a better outcome!

This is one of the chapels along the shore

As we were out enjoying the view, the clouds started rolling in. At first I thought we might have just a sprinkle or two... but then it REALLY started to come down. Everyone headed down to the tables on the enclosed lower deck.

The lower deck was nicely decorated

Finishing lunch on the lower deck

The rain turned nasty and fell for the rest of the trip. We were still able to see the islands and all the historic camps, but had to do it safely from the inside of the lower deck. Even with the rain the cruise was very interesting and something I would recommend. The tour was an hour and a half and just the right amount of time for two young kids.

Here is the link:

http://www.raquettelakenavigation.com

And would the trip be complete without a trip to the gift shop?? OF COURSE NOT! The gift shop at the dock was an old train caboose. That in itself was worth venturing out in the rain. We bought postcards and chocolate moose lollipops for the ride home.

Buttermilk Falls

We took a quick trip into Long Lake, NY to Buttermilk Falls.....



Because it has rained so much the last few days, the water was flowing very fast and strong. I had been here before, but it has been a long time. It is a really nice spot... complete with picnic tables. We are planning on going back on another day and bringing a lunch for a picnic.

Of course the boys wanted to get right in the water. There are a few little "inlets" where the water is very shallow and there isn't a current. I told them we could soak our feet.

Liam and Sky -

Liam doesn't like loud noises and the waterfall was quite loud!

Sky finding rocks to skip

I told them to stay in the shallows and to not climb around on the rocks. The rocks are very slippery and I knew someone would fall in.

BEFORE - Liam on the rocks... after I told him not to climb on the rocks

AFTER - Liam soaking wet after slipping and falling in the water

Sure enough! About 10 seconds later... SPLASH! Liam is in the water. It's a good thing that it was a nice warm day. The falls were really beautiful and I can't wait to go back. Next time? Towels and bathing suits!

Going WILD in Tupper Lake

Mom and Tom head up to the Adirondacks a couple of times a year. They have a favorite campground in Indian Lake. This year we were able to go with them. It is a really nice campground, very quiet and peaceful. In fact, I decided to stay for the rest of the month... even though they have already headed home.


Mom showing where their names are on the plaque

Mom and Tom are supporters of the WILD center in Tupper Lake. They wanted to take the boys there while we were visiting. Tom found out about a program they were having while we would be there and got tickets online. So saturday we headed to Tupper Lake to have breakfast with the Otters!


Squeaker and Squirt playing


Having breakfast

The boys loved the program. We had a breakfast that included some of the foods that the otters would also be eating for breakfast, and then we saw the otter program. We got to see them eat and learn all about otters. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. One of the things that I personally learned is that otters never hold still long enough to take a picture!!

After breakfast we went through all the exhibits in the center. It is geared towards children, so there are lots of programs and interactive activities. We saw a presentation about a very tame porcupine....


How can a porcupine be this cute??

and one about a not-so-tame raven (who bit the handler).


Skyler after the raven program

One of Liam's favorite exhibits was the "touch a cloud". He kept going back to it again and again.


Plaque for the cloud exhibit

Trying to touch the cloud

The kids enjoyed playing with puppets and working on learning kids about all kinds of animals. Even I enjoyed the interactive things.

Liam playing with puppets

We all took a guided nature walk down to the water. Then we stopped at the natural playground in the pines. The kids got to climb and play on logs, stumps, and a hige uprooted tree. We ended up staying all day. It was a great day of fun!

Photo in "The Pines" - the natural playground

I would highly recommend visiting the Wild Center if you are in the area. Here is a link

http://www.wildcenter.org/

A horse is, of course, a horse.....

After leaving our campground, we headed up to visit some of the Johnson Clan (my mother's side of the family) in the Ogdensburg, NY area. Although they do not offer full hook-ups, we did find the Madill campground to be a pleasant place to stay....



We saw about 40 Amish carriages and buggies a day on the road in front of us. The Amish have bought up lots of farms, and there are many Amish families living in the area. There are a lot more Amish than there was when I used to go and visit years ago. I wanted to teach the kids about the Amish lifestyle but Wierd Al ruined it for me! The kids have listened to Amish Paradise and every time I talk about the Amish, the kids break into song.





One of the many buggies on the road



We had a great time visiting Kevin and Karen. We got to see their horses and the kids got to "ride" (they were led around bareback on a lead). They also enjoyed feeding the horses grass, carrots, and treats.





Liam feeding the horses grass




Skyler thanking Reba for the ride





Sky riding Reba





Liam riding Reba

My Cousin Julia and my Aunt Karen threw a surprise birthday party for Liam. He was SO HAPPY! Liam always gets shorted when it comes to birthdays... his birthday is at the end of July. He doesn't get to celebrate in school with his friends because it is in the middle of the summer. This year he got a party with relatives up north, Grandma is doing something special with him, and we will celebrate on his birthday.





Julia made Liam an ice cream cake

Playing on the water slide

Skyler, Liam, and Caleb

Silly string fight

Second cousins... Caleb, Liam, Skyler, and Damen

We had pizza, and Julia made Liam an ice cream cake. The kids got to play on a big water slide and then they had a silly string fight. The boys enjoyed playing with the little boys (their second cousins). Everyone had a great time with family.